EAST JACKSON’S pitching staff — largely a strength for the team through three games — suffered through an off night Monday in an 11-1 loss to George Walton Academy.

East Jackson (1-3) issued eight walks, seven of which came during one inning.

"This was the first time this season that our pitching didn't hold up,” East Jackson coach Matt Pruitt said. “Up to this point, our pitchers have done a great job giving us a chance to win, but we just couldn't find the strike zone, and when we did, they put some good swings on the ball."

Eagle pitching surrendered 11 hits, though “we spread them out pretty well” Pruitt said. The problem came with the walks.

The game turned in the third inning when East Jackson issued seven walks and George Walton (5-1) scored nine runs to blow the contest open.

"The disappointing part is that the game really turned on one nightmare half-inning where nothing went right,” Pruitt said. “The wheels came off in the third, but before that, we were in a good game with a good baseball team. In the big picture, we played better than the score would indicate.”

East Jackson, which was coming off its first win of the season, also committed three errors on the night.

Eagle starter Caleb Hardy took the loss, giving up five runs in two and one-thirds innings before leaving with shoulder pain.

Offensively, Hardy’s double in the first inning pushed Nate Strait to third. Ethan Lyons followed with a groundout RBI for East Jackson’s only score.

"Disaster strikes sometimes in the course of a baseball season,” Pruitt said. “We've got 20 games left, so we've just got to shake off that one game, really that one half-inning, and get back to work."

another baseball coach for ej?how many is this doc? 4 or 5. these kids are being cheated. i cannot for the life of me figure out what is going on with the athletics at EJCHS.I am sick and tired of watching EJ sports teams being led down the wrong road. Is the Adminstration truly for the kids.Are the AD's worht their weight in salt. Come on folks at least Tucker was for the kids and coaches. He just supported a winner. thats what got him gone. Of course the Administration wouldn't know a winner or want one if they hit them in the head.looks like another losing season for ej baseball. great job richard,shawn doing a great job for the kids

Kids cheated? You may be right. The kids have been cheated by those former coaches that were more interested in themselves than they were in the program they claimed to support. FC and JT are responsible for the road you claim these kids are on. By allowing these kids to act any way they choose without consequences they created a "ME" mentality. We all know the old saying about where "ME" fits into "TEAM". Coach Pruitt is working hard to turn the baseball program around. Maybe you should be a supporter of these kids and programs or move on and find a team you can support. GO EAGLES.

Its in all the sports - seasons will start and the kids won't have uniforms, seen it in softball, volleyball and cheerleading year after year!! Coaches are way under par at EJCHS..... one will leave and they replace them with whatever they can find. Just ask the poor cheerleaders over there under a delinquent cheer coach with an oversized ego!
More tears that school has seen in years! Somebody help that program - all sports!!!

What does Caputo have to do with baseball? Move on people! Jackson county and now East Jackson had tremendous before he got there and will continue now too! No coach can change DNA! People always want to blame others for their problems. The kids are cheated, but it is mostly from their own parents and a public school system that is inbred-as in inbred I mean only wanting Jackson County people instead of fresh blood with different ideas and ways of doing things. Jackson County Schools are fine with being ok in athletics-not good, not great, rec league level. Hey, at least when the kids are out on a field they are not actively reproducing and adding to the obscene teen pregnancy rate.

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